Friday, March 10, 2017

Business spotlight - High Wire Hydroponics by Michelle Libby

When it comes to indoor or outdoor
gardening and cultivation, High Wire Hydroponics in Raymond has the tools and
knowledge to help the beginner to the advanced gardener succeed. Owners Sean
Heggarty, Adam Nappi and Jeff Buckley opened the store at 1 Murray Drive, off
Route 302, in 2014. Since that time they have outgrown their current location
and have plans to open another store on Murray Drive.

“All of us have been medical marijuana
card carriers before the law to keep a foothold in the market that’s going to
explode,” said Heggarty.

In the store, they have indoor and
outdoor growing equipment and all the free advice a person could need, Heggarty
said. From soil to plant food, oxygen and plant pots, there are many options
for growing plants at High Wire Hydroponics.

Most of the people coming and going from
the store are repeat customers and the owners welcome them by name. If there is
an item a customer needs and it’s not in the store, the staff can order the
items from their distributers.

“We are very customer oriented,” said
Heggarty. “Come in, chill.” They also offer customer appreciation parties and
VIP parties to keep relationships tight.

Hire Wire delivers pallets of soil and
are grow consultants. They lend a hand whenever needed.

In the future space, the owners plan to
hold classes for medical marijuana providers, or those who want to learn to
grow marijuana or other plants using hydroponics. They plan to offer classes in
good soil cultivation, general gardening and more. From novice to expert
growers, High Wire has the right supplies to get gardens to thrive.

L to R: Josh Johnson, Sean Heggarty, Adam Nappi, Jeff Sloat

The store carries a large variety of
plant food. “It’s a nice alternative to Miracle Grow,” Heggarty said. “We have
better prices than a nursery and more variety for sure.” They offer many
different brand lines to offer customers a vast choice of products.

“For an indoor set up, there’s a lot
more to it, but it can be easy,” Heggarty said. “Hydroponic grows plants
quickly but it’s more of a project to build the system. Some want to put a
plant in the ground.”

“The people who do best with hydroponics
are those who are meticulous, take good notes and are detail-oriented. The
system has to be checked often. If a pump dies, within two hours the plants
will die”, he said.

Maine law that went into effect January
30, 2017 - “Allows persons over 21 years to grow six mature plants and possess
2.5 ounces.” The other part of the law allows retail sale and taxation of
marijuana has a legislature approved moratorium in effect.

“It’s a huge part of the culture up here,
if you’re willing to admit it or not,” he said.

Heggarty expects to see an increase in
business in spring and summer, as people try their hands at growing outside
their houses. Outside gardening balances the cost and ease of use against the
technical side of hydroponics for those who want to be “dialed in” to their
plants.

“We’re here to help. There’s a huge
uptick of new growers we can help from start to finish,” Heggarty said.

Heggarty has a degree in environmental
policy and planning and has had a few other businesses before opening High Wire
Hydroponics. The owners just closed on a parcel of land next to their building
where they plan to create a disk golf course. They already sell the disks and
other equipment in the store, so they saw this as an opportunity. It should be
finished in the fall, Heggarty said.

“We’re young, we might as well go for
it,” Heggarty explained about expanding the business.

The store is open seven days a week from
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and
Sundays.